Jump to content

3A Notebook - Mixed Bag of Results in Week 0

gchs_uk9

By gchs_uk9
in KY Football (High School)

 Share

Recommended Posts

gchs_uk9

gchs_uk9

Posted
Posted

Two of Three, With a Wait and See

 

Two of the top three teams in Bluegrasspreps' Class 3A preseason rankings romped to commanding victories in their season openers, while another has to wait a week before taking the field. Corbin, ranked second in the preseason, dominated county rival Whitley County, 42-6. The Redhounds, while small, boast what should be one of the best offenses in the class and Friday was no different.

 

Preseason #3 Lexington Catholic also had little trouble disposing of their debut opponent, taking care of Boone County at home by a 41-18 count. The Knights, always an offensive juggernaut, showed they could score with ease, but they'll have a much tougher test this week when they play host to Catholic rival St. Xavier.

 

Finally, three time defending state champion Belfry always takes two scrimmages and opens in Week 1, so the first chance to see the Pirates will be in the Pike County Bowl on Friday night when they host Tates Creek. Belfry returns a ton of starters on both sides of the ball, but Tates Creek did give the Pirates some trouble in last year's opener.

 

Up in Class, Up to the Task?

 

Four of the top nine teams in BGP's preseason rankings opened their season with ranked teams from higher classes. Results were a mixed bag, with one win, one very strong showing, one competitive loss, and one dismantling.

 

Garrard County's strong rushing attack took out 4A #10 and defending state semifinalist Shelby County, 41-31. The Golden Lions, ranked 8th, fell behind by ten points in the third quarter, but rattled off 20 unanswered points to salt away the victory. Senior running back Jacob Foley ran for 294 yards and five touchdowns.

 

Many expected Central to take a step back this season after posting ten consecutive district championships and winning five state titles along the way. However, the #6 Yellowjackets gave 6A power Manual, themselves ranked seventh, all they could handle before falling 21-20. As always, it appears that Central will win with defense and don't be surprised to see these young Jackets make another deep postseason run.

 

Caldwell County played close with 5A #3 Christian County until late in the third quarter of the Toyota of Hopkinsville Jerry Claiborne Bowl at the Stadium of Champions before falling 50-34. For Caldwell, quarterback Shane Burns passed for 276 yards and three scores, with Zach Gaither hauling in 14 catches for 148 yards and a score. The Tigers were without back Javonte Riley for the game and did allow Christian to pass for 354 yards. The schedule gets no easier for Caldwell as they play Franklin-Simpson and North Hardin the next two weeks.

 

Paducah Tilghman and new coach Kurt Barber were perhaps ranked a bit too ambitiously in the preseason, but with several 3A schools graduating significant numbers and talent always in abundance for the Tornado, the thought was to take a wait-and-see approach with Tilghman. The opener with McCracken County was delayed until Sunday and the wait didn't hurt the Mustangs any as they rolled over Tilghman, 41-6. Now Barber and company must prepare for consecutive road games at Central Hardin and Mayfield. Welcome to the job, right?

 

Around the Rankings

 

#4 Boyle County fell in their opener to 6A North Hardin in overtime, 21-20. The Rebels are very young this season and despite some sloppy play were on the verge of a nice season opening win. Look for Boyle to take a few lumps early but Chuck Smith's team should be a contender by year's end.

 

#7 Waggener, behind quarterback Larry Harper's four touchdown passes, romped over 5A Iroquois 41-6. The Wildcats are loaded with talent but have a less than spectacular schedule, so opportunities to see them against high level competition are limited. One of those high level games, however, is this weekend, when they travel to Corbin for the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic against Knox Central.

 

#10 Russell did not play this week and will open at Greenup County on Saturday night.

 

Extra Points

 

Elizabethtown found out replacing much of last year's state semifinal team would be difficult as they fell to East Jessamine in the VisitNich.com Bowl. The Panthers did keep it close, losing only 20-15, and have the pieces to become a solid team as the season progresses.

 

Bell County experienced a bit of good news and bad news in winning at city rival Middlesboro. The Bobcats knocked off the Yellowjackets for the second year in a row, but also saw star running back Treyton Humfleet leave with an injury. The extent of that injury is unknown at this time.

 

Fleming County, a dark horse pick by some to win District 5, spotted Estill County an early seven points then rolled to a 49-7 victory. Bill Spencer's team has the offensive firepower to make some noise in 3A.

 

Bardstown picked up one of the biggest wins of the weekend, toppling 4A #6 Spencer County 29-13 on Saturday night. The Tigers, loaded with skill across the board, made up for last season's 34 point loss to the Bears. Picked third in District 3, Bardstown certainly put Central and Waggener on notice with the win.

 

Three to See

(Each week the 3A Notebook will preview the three best games featuring Class 3A teams for the coming week)

 

1. Central at Corbin. Two of the top six teams in the class square off in what should be a dandy. Central won a wild one at Corbin in the 2014 playoffs and will look to push themselves again to near the top of the class. Will Corbin's lack of size hurt them against a physical bunch of Yellowjackets?

 

2. Lafayette at Boyle County. Seldom are the Rebels an underdog, especially at home, but they will be this week. Lafayette has several top tier recruits and was a 6A finalist last year. Boyle fell to North Hardin in the opener, but put forth an effort that shows they might be capable of shocking the Generals.

 

3. Waggener vs. Knox Central. Waggener was competitive with Corbin in last year's Pigskin Classic and that was before several transfers were eligible. Now the Wildcats return to the same bowl, only to face Knox Central, who fell in a tight opener with Madison Central. Can Waggener get a win against one of 4A's power programs?

 

Just One More

(Tired of the same teams every week? Want to go off the beaten path for a 3A game this Friday night? Each week we'll look at an under-the-radar matchup to watch in Class 3A)

 

Edmonson County at Butler County. This is one of the bigger rivalries no one knows about. Class 2A Butler County is led by Mr. Football candidate Rex Henderson, but Edmonson County features running back Daniel Caudill, who will be a preferred walk-on at Western Kentucky next season. Edmonson might be a District 2 contender this year and their game at Butler County will help much of the state gauge where they currently stand.

gchs_uk9

gchs_uk9

Posted
  • Author
Posted

A quick note to coaches: Have your stats posted on the KHSAA website by Sunday afternoon and your players will be more likely to receive name recognition in the weekly article. :thumb:

 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...